From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Cherokee senior Justin Kelly lowered his 1,600 PR from 4:19.66 to 4:18.48 at the Meet of Champions Sunday at the Bennett Center.

Kelly placed seventh in a very fast race but ran the 11th-fastest time in Meet of Champions history by a South Jersey miler and the fastest by a Cherokee (or Burlington County) miler, 2-100ths of a second faster than Shawn Wilson’s time in 2012.

Kelly moved into the No. 3 spot on the all-time Burlington County indoor list behind Marc Pelerin and Dave Forward. Here’s what that list looks like:

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY INDOO 1,600 LIST
4:13.56y  … Marc Pelerin (Cherokee), 2002
4:16.71y … *Dave Forward (Shawnee), 2009
4:19.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … *Shawn Wilson (Cherokee), 2012
4:18.91y … Jon Anderson (Cinnaminson), 2004
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee), 2010
4:20.46y … Brian Tetreault (Cinnaminson), 2007
4:20.93 … *Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2008
4:21.1h … Eric Lorenz (Holy Cross), 1988
4:22.22y … Rob Novak (Bordentown), 2005

And here are the fastest seventh-place times in meet history:
4:17.05 … Dan Mykityshyn [CBA], 2010
4:18.18 … Dylan Tarpey [Freehold Twp.], 2013
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.84 … Rob Napolitano [Red Bank Catholic], 2011
4:19.15 … Patrik Anderson [Gill St. Bernard’s], 2014

And here’s a list of the all the sub-4:20 South Jersey milers at the indoor Meet of Champions. As you can see 10 of the 13 are since 2010:
4:14.18 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016 [3]
4:14.71 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015 [1]
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2011 [1]
4:16.62 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014 [4]
4:16.64 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2003 [1]
4:16.5m … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974 [1]
4:16.68 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010 [5]
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010 [6]
4:16.9m … Bob Marino [Williamstown, 1974 [2]
4:18.17 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011 [5]
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018 [7]
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012 [9]
4:19.39 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018 [9]
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010 [10]

Finally, here’s my best attempt at an all-time Burlington County combined list of all sub-4:20 milers both indoors and outdoors:

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY 1,600 LIST
4:11.15 … Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2009
4:11.69 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:11.83y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.0y,h … Rick Jacques [Burlington Twp.], 1968
4:14.60 … Matt Poskus [Cinnaminson], 2007
4:14.8y,h … Vance Watson [Willingboro], 1982
4:15.28 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:15.44 … Brian Tetreault [Cinnaminson], 2007
4:15.49 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010
4:15.77 … Anthony Kelhower [Lenape], 2005
4:16.71y,i … David Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:16.6y,h … Herb Gordon [Willingboro], 1982
4:16.86 … Mark Miller [Shawnee], 2017
4:16.93 … Ian Waterhouse [Rancocas Valley], 2004
4:17.34 … Chris Martin [Northern Burlington], 2014
4:17.39 … Chris Sallade [Shawnee], 1990
4:17.4y,h … Bob Mann [Willingboro], 1979
4:17.7y,h … Joe League [Holy Cross], 1972
4:18.43 … Josh Joseph [Cherokee], 2000
4:18.48i … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.52 … *Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
4:18.3y,h … Rey Johnson [Willingboro], 1980
4:18.3 … Keith O’Brien [Shawnee], 1992
4:18.64 … Joshua DeJesus [Rancocas Valley], 2015
4:18.6 … Bryant Walker [Pemberton], 1983
4:18.7y,h … Mark Strucko [Rancocas Valley], 1979
4:18.91 … Steve Unger [Shawnee], 2003
4:19.96 … Kevin Lauer [Lenape], 2017
4:18.9y,h … Terry Delaney [Moorestown], 1979
4:19.01 … *Bill Sepich [Delran], 2004
4:19.36 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], 2017
4:19.83 … Alex McGrainer [Seneca], 2013

 

Woodstown graduate Ta’riq Thomas, a senior at Delaware Valley College, won his second conference title of the weekend and seventh of his collegiate career Saturday when he jumped 47-9 1/2 to win the triple jump at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships at Rauch Fieldhouse on the Lehigh campus in Bethlehem, Pa.

On Friday, Thomas won the long jump with a meet-record 23-10 1/2 jump.

Thomas also won the triple jump at the 2015 indoor meet and 2015, 2016 and 2017 outdoor meets and long jump at the 2016 outdoor meet.

Thomas fouled on his first two attempts of the trials and was in danger of not even advancing to the finals. But he went 47-2 1/2 on his third attempt of the trials and was safely through to the finals.

As it turned out, that 47-2 1/2 would have been good enough to win the title, but Thomas opened the finals with his 47-9 1/2, then followed it with a 45-11 and a 44-10 1/2.

Thomas’s career-best in the triple jump is 48-9 3/4 from a meet last spring at Swarthmore. His indoor PR is 48-7 3/4 from the 2015 ECAC meet at the 168th Street Armory. His best mark so far this year is a 48-0 3/4 from a meet last month at Muhlenberg in Allentown.

Thomas, a three-time NCAA Division 3 All-America, ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division 3 in the long jump and No. 9 in the triple jump, according to the Direct Athletics database.

At Woodstown, had PRs of 22-5 1/2 in the long jump and 45-4 3/4 in the triple jump, both at the Woodbury Relays.

 

Delsea senior Ashley Preston, one of the top pole vaulters in state history, cleared 12-6 Saturday to place second in the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Preston took second to Haley Horvath of Notre Dame on more misses. Both tied the meet record originally set in 2008 by Barnegat’s Jen Holly and matched in 2009 by Montville’s Chrissy Finked and in 2012 by Southern Regional’s Chelsea Vaughan.

Preston’s 12-6 is the top non-winning jump in meet history. The previous best second-place finish was 12-0, achieved three times, most recently by Marlena Sabatini of Hillsborough in 2012.

Preston is the Gloucester County record holder indoors with her 12-7 earlier this at a meet at the Bennett Center in January. The previous Gloucester County record was just 10-6.

Preston ranks No. 4 in state history indoors and No. 5 in state history on the combine indoor and outdoor list. She’s second to Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly, the former indoor national champion, on both lists. O’Reilly had clearances of 13-5 indoors and 13-3 outdoors in 2004.

The indoor Meet of Champions PR didn’t start until 2005, so O’Reilly never had a chance to compete indoors in the M-of-C.

Preston’s 12-6 is the best ever by a South Jersey girl in the Meet of Champions pole vault indoors. The previous best was an 11-6 by Melissa Gale of Millville for second place in 2006.

Preston’s PR coming into this season was 11-0.

Preston’s outdoor best is 11-0 from sectionals in 2016. She’s been over 12-6 or higher in four of her last six meets — state relays, a SJTCA  meet at the Bennett Center, sectionals and Meet of Champs. She placed eighth on Tuesday at Easterns with an 11-7 clearance.

13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004

13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017

12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008

12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018

12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010

12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018

12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005

12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008

12-6  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012

12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016

12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018

12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018

12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017

13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]

13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [i]

12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008 [i]

12-7 1/4 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2009 [o]

12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [i]

12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]

12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [i]

12-6 1/2 … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005 [o]

12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [i]

12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005 [i], 2008 [o]

12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]

12-6 1/2  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [i]

12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016 [i], 2017 [o]

12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [i]

12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018 [i]

12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017 [i]

12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012 [o]

12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [o]

12-6 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], 2010 [o]

Delsea senior Ashley Preston, one of the top pole vaulters in state history, cleared 12-6 Saturday to place second in the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Preston took second to Haley Horvath of Notre Dame on misses. Both tied the meet record originally set in 2008 by Barnegat’s Jen Holly and matched in 2009 by Montville’s Chrissy Finked and in 2012 by Southern Regional’s Chelsea Vaughan.

Preston’s 12-6 is the top non-winning jump in meet history. The previous best second-place finish was 12-0, achieved three times, most recently by Marlena Sabatini of Hillsborough in 2012.

Preston is the Gloucester County record holder indoors with her 12-7 earlier this at a meet at the Bennett Center in January. The previous Gloucester County record was just 10-6.

Preston ranks No. 4 in state history indoors and No. 5 in state history on the combine indoor and outdoor list. She’s second to Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly, the former indoor national champion, on both lists. O’Reilly had clearances of 13-5 indoors and 13-3 outdoors in 2004.

The indoor Meet of Champions PR didn’t start until 2005, so O’Reilly never had a chance to compete indoors in the M-of-C.

Preston’s 12-6 is the best ever by a South Jersey girl in the Meet of Champions pole vault indoors. The previous best was an 11-6 by Melissa Gale of Millville for second place in 2006.

Preston’s PR coming into this season was 11-0.

Preston’s outdoor best is 11-0 from sectionals in 2016. She’s been over 12-6 or higher in four of her last six meets — state relays, a SJTCA  meet at the Bennett Center, sectionals and Meet of Champs. She placed eighth on Tuesday at Easterns with an 11-7 clearance.

She and teammate Madison Mamounis [10-0] set a meet record of 22-6 to win the state Group 2 relays title.

Here’s the all-time state indoor list
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004
13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017
12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008
12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010
12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018
12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005
12-6 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008
12-6  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016
12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018
12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018
12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017

And the all-time New Jersey combined indoor and outdoor list:
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]
13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [i]
12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008 [i]
12-7 1/4 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2009 [o]
12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [i]
12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]
12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [i]
12-6 1/2 … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005 [o]
12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [i]
12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005 [i], 2008 [o]
12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]
12-6 1/2  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [i]
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016 [i], 2017 [o]
12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [i]
12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018 [i]
12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017 [i]
12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012 [o]
12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [o]
12-6 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], 2010 [o]

Villanova’s Sterling Pierce, a Rancocas Valley graduate, ran his fastest 200 in two years and won his section of a two-race final before settling for second place in the Big East indoor championships at the Ocean Breeze facility in Staten Island.

Pierce won his section of the two-race final in 21.53, only to watch Nate Alleyne of Georgetown run 21.51 in the second section and take the title.

Egg Harbor Township’s Amir Brock, a Villanova freshman, was fourth in 21.80.

Pierce’s 21.53 is his fastest 200 since he ran 21.48 at a meet at the University of Miami in April of 2016. It’s his fastest indoor time since he ran 21.45 to place second in the 2016 indoor meet on the same track.

Pierce also placed third in the 60-meter dash in 6.89, which is just 1-100th of a second off his PR of 6.88 set at the Armory last month.

That’s 14 points in two events for Pierce. After 12 events, the Villanova men trailed Marquette by just seven points, 121-114.

Schalick senior Zyra Thomas continued her record-shattering indoor season Saturday with a second-place finish in the shot put at the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center.

Shelby Bigsby of Montclair, ranked No. 1 in the country at 50-2 from Easterns on Tuesday night, won with a 47-0 throw, but Thomas was next with a bomb of 45-5. That is over a foot beyond her previous PR and Salem County record of 44-2 3/4, which she set at the Bennett Center in January.

Thomas’s throw is the best ever by a South Jersey girl at the indoor Meet of Champions. It’s also the fifth-best non-winning throw in meet history.

According to the MileSplit data base, Thomas is now ranked sixth in the U.S. Her throw is No. 2 by a New Jersey girl this year.

Thomas moved up from No. 4 to No. 2 on the all-time South Jersey indoor list, behind only Najeaya Singleton, who set the South Jersey record of 46-1 1/2 last year.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR SHOT PUT LIST
46-1 1/2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017 [i]
45-6… Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018 [i]
45-3 … Nacole Moore [Bridgeton], 2000 [i]
44-6 1/2 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004 [i]
44-3 1/2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004 [i]
44-0 1/2 … Melinda Boykin [Bridgeton], 1996 [i]
43-11 3/4 … Stephanie Scaramella [Bishop Eustace], 2007 [i]
43-10 1/4 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006 [i]
43-10 … Rosetta Hunter [Burlington Twp.], 2015 [i]
43-4 3/4 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2012 [i]
43-4 1/2 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], 2009 [i]
43-3 … Janice Rose [Delsea], 2011 [i]
42-7 3/4 … Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995 [i]
42-5 1/2 … Genevieve Tybicki [Our Lady of Mercy], 2007 [i]
42-4 … Sophia Coleburn [Haddon Heights], 2007 [i]
42-0 1/2 … Lisa Stuto [Winslow Twp.], 2009 [i]
42-0 1/4 … Lola Agabalogun [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013 [i]
41-10 … Lillian Rivera [Pemberton], 1984 [i]

Thomas’s mark also moved her from No. 14 to No. 5 on the all-time South Jersey list, covering both indoor and outdoor marks.

ALL-TIME S.J. COMBINED SHOT PUT LIST
47-1 1/4 … Jessica Woodard (Cherokee), 2013 [o]
46-4 ……… Janiece Rose (Delsea), 2011 [o]
46-1 1/2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017 [i]
45-7 1/2 … Ronetta Hunter (Burlington Twp.), 2015 [o]
45-6………. Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018 [i]
46-1 1/2 … Nacole Moore (Bridgeton), 2000 [o]
45-5 ……… Sylvia Galarza (Millville), 2004 [o]
44-9 ……… Kim Warren (Atlantic City), 2006 [o]
44-9 ……… Lola Agabalogun (Egg Harbor), 2013 [o]
44-5 1/4 …. Melinda Boykin (Bridgeton), 1998 [o]
44-5 ……… Jamine Moton (Delsea), 1997 [o]
44-4 1/4 …. Dana White (Camden), 2000 [o]
44-3 1/2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004 [i]
44-2 1/2 …. Typhanie Bates (Williamstown), 1995 [o]
44-0 3/4 …. Mercedes Hicks (Atlantic City), 2006 [o]
43-11 3/4 … Stephanie Scaramella [Bishop Eustace], 2007 [i]
43-8 3/4 …. Janet Morris (Kingsway), 1991 [o]
43-7 …..… Shamire Rothmiller (Glassboro), 2008 [o]
43-6 3/4 … Angela Solomon (Overbook), 1989 [o]
43-6 3/4 … Talita Silva (Bridgeton), 2003 [o]

Thomas’s throw surpasses Nacole Moore’s 45-3 winner in 2000 as the top throw in Meet of Champions history by a South Jersey girl. It’s No. 15 in M-of-C history and makes her the No. 12 performer in M-of-C history.

ALL-TIME INDOOR M-OF-C SHOT PUT LIST
53-2 …… Nickolette Dunbar, 2016 (1)
50-0 …… Alyssa Wilson, 2016 (2)
49-9 ¾ …. Nicole Sims, Plainfield 1991 (1)
47-11 ¼ … Nickolette Dunbar, 2015 (1)
47-8 …… Therewsa Picciallo, Immaculate Heart, 2012 (1)
47-7 ………. Sims, 1992 (1)
47-6 ………. Sims, 1993 (1)
47-5 ½ …. Kim Hicks, Plainfield, 1992 (2)
47-2 ¼ …. Jessica Molina, Westwood, 2016 (3)
46-4 ½ …….. Picciallo, 2011 (1)
46-3 …… Taryn O’Connor, Hillsborough, 2007 (1)
46-1 ½ …. DeAnne Hahn, Brick Township, 2008 (1)
45-10 ¾ … Jessica Fazekas, Demarest, 2002 (1)
45-9 ½ …. Jessica Molina, Westwood, 2015 (2)
45-5 …… Zyra Thomas, Schalick, 2018 (2)
45-3 …… Nacole Moore, Bridgeton, 2000 (1)

Thomas, a four-time state Group 1 champ in the shot put, has an outdoor PR of 43-7 1/4 from last year’s Meet of Champions, when she was fifth.

Her indoor PR before this year was 42-8 1/2 from last year’s sectionals. She’s thrown at least 40 feet in every indoor meet she’s entered since the start of her junior year.

Oakcrest graduate Ishmael Muhammad led all qualifiers into the finals of the 800-meter run at the Big East championships Friday at the Ocean Breeze facility on Staten Island.

Muhammad won the first semifinal in 1:51.24. The first two finishers in three races plus the next two-fastest times advanced to Saturday’s final.

Muhammad ran within half a second of his indoor PR of 1:50.80, which he ran last February at the Villanova Invitational on the same track. Muhammad ran 1:48.31 for third at the 2015 USATF Junior National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Two other New Jersey half-milers — Georgetown’s Rey Rivera from Old Bridge and Villanova’s Ben Malone from River Vale and Pascack Valley Regional High  — qualified for the final, which is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

In the 200, Villanova teammates Sterling Pierce of Rancocas Valley and freshman Amir Brock of Egg Harbor Township posted the third- and fourth-fastest qualifying times of nine qualifiers for the two-section final, with just 1-10th of a second separating them. Pierce ran 21.87 and Brock 21.88. Sebastian Feyersinger of DePaul led the qualifiers in 21.75. The 200 final is scheduled for 12:50 p.m. Saturday.

Brock ran 21.56 outdoors at EHT but his 21.88 is an indoor and collegiate PR and his first race under 22 as a collegian.

Pierce’s indoor 200 PR is a 21.45, which he ran when he placed second in the 2016 final, just behind Feyersinger. Pierce edged Feyersinger outdoors in the spring of 2016 to win the Big East 200 title.

For full results from Day 1 of the Big  East Championships click here.

Ta’riq Thomas, a Woodstown High graduate now at Delaware Valley University, broke the Middle Atlantic Conference indoor championships long jump record Friday with a winning jump of 23-10 1/2 at Lehigh’s Rauch Fieldhouse in Bethlehem, Pa.

Thomas, a senior at the Bucks County college located in Doylestown and New Britain, broke the meet record of 23-9 1/4 set in 1993 by Gregg Barrett of Widener and matched in 2015 by Josh Colley of Widener.

Thomas fouled on his first attempt, then popped the winning jump on his second. He passed his final try of the prelims, then went 21-11 1/4, 23-6 1/4 and 23-3 1/2 on his three jumps in the final.

Dimeon Wright, a freshman at Stevenson College in Owings Mills, Md., placed second with a personal-best jump of 23-4 1/2.

It was the sixth career conference title for Thomas, who won the triple jump at the 2015 indoor meet and 2015, 2016 and 2017 outdoor meets and long jump at the 2016 outdoor meet. He also recorded four second places, all behind Colley.

Thomas had a best of 22-5 1/2 while at Woodstown, a mark he achieved winning the 2014 Woodbury Relays. He won South Jersey Group 1 titles in both the triple jump and long jump. He didn’t jump indoors.

At Delaware Valley College, Thomas has a PR of 24-0, which he set at a meet last month at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa. His outdoor PR is 23-3 1/2 from a meet last spring at Swarthmore. His overall PR coming into this indoor season was 23-5 1/2 from the 2015 Middle Atlantic Conference meet in Bethlehem, when he placed second behind Colley.

Delaware Valley’s web site doesn’t list indoor school records. But Thomas has surpassed the listed outdoor record of 23-10, set in 1985 by Brandon Newell.

Thomas will participate in the triple jump on Saturday and the 200 later Friday night.

Earlier Friday, he ran a leg on DVC’s 800-meter relay team, which advanced to the finals with a 1:35.03 clocking in the prelims.

The From the Backstretch Blog loves really fast times, but we love huge PRs more than anything. And when you get a huge PR that’s also a really fast time … well, that’s when we’re happiest.

Which brings us to Darielle Cross.

Cross is a sophomore hurdler at Rowan, and you may have missed her performance at the New Jersey Athletic Conference meet, but it was a doozy.

Cross, who ran scholastically at Matawan, went into the meet on Monday at the Sea Breeze facility in Staten Island with a PR in the 60-meter high hurdles of 9.21 from the prelims of the Lehigh Fast Times meet in Bethlehem back in December.

She then lowered that to 9.16 in the trials, which was the fourth-fastest time in the prelims, and then put everything together in the final, running 8.93 to finish in a virtual tie for second with Jocelyn Anderson of Montclair State (via Eatontown and Monmouth Regional).

Both were clocked in 8.93, but Anderson was credited with second and Cross third in a super close finish between Monmouth County natives.

That’s a PR for Cross of nearly a quarter of a second in the final and a one-day improvement of 28-100ths of a second.

Her fastest previous final was a 9.26, so she ran 33/100ths of a second faster than she had ever run in a final.

That’s a huge drop in a race that’s only 60 meters long!

Teammate Aspen McMillan, the nation’s top-ranked high hurdler, won the race in 8.87 — just 6-100ths ahead of Anderson and Cross. McMillan, from South Brunswick, has an NCAA Division 3-leading 8.74 from a meet at Ithaca earlier this month.

But Cross is now ranked tied for ninth in Division 3, thanks to her breakthrough race at the conference meet.

Cross also won the 200 at the NJAC meet in 25.88 and placed seventh in the 60 in 8.11 after an 8.08 in the trials.

She also led off Rowan’s 800-meter relay team, which won in 1:42.61. McMillan, Aaniyah Robinson of Passaic County Tech and Brianna Angelella of Southern Regional also ran on the 4-by-200 team, which just missed the school record of 1:42.15 that McMillan anchored two years ago.

What a meet!

The 55-meter dash at Easterns as usual had a heavy local flavor, with three of the top seven finishers hailing from South Jersey and all three either matching or surpassing their personal-best.

All in all, this continues a trend that has seen the girls 55 explode in recent years, with South Jersey girls leading the way. Especially on the fast track at Easterns.

There have been 27 South Jersey girls who have run 7.20 or faster in history. More than half of them — 14 of the 27 — have done it since 2010, and 19 of the 27 have been since 2000.

A lot of this has to do with the improved track surfaces, first at the Armory and more recently at the Sea Breeze facility on Staten Island.

But in South Jersey track history, only eight girls ran 7.20 or faster through 1999. And six have done it just in the last two years.

At Easterns, Egg Harbor freshman Lauren Princz lowered her PR from 7.18 to 7.09 and placed third, Woodrow Wilson junior Dennisha Page lowered her PR from 7.20 to 7.16 in the semis and then placed fifth in the final in 7.21, and Eastern freshman Jailya Ash ran a PR 7.24 in the trials and took seventh in the final in 7.26.

Sterling’s Alliyah Harrison, who ran a N.J. No. 2 7.07 at states, focused on the 200 at Easterns. And Our Lady of Mercy’s Iyanla Kollock, who ran 7.00 last year and has gone as fast as 7.18 so far this year, wasn’t at Easterns.

Then there’s Egg Harbor’s Ajae Alvarez, who has run 7.22 but skipped the 55 and won the 400 at Easterns, and Aliyah Taylor of Rancocas Valley, who has a 7.01 to her credit from last year but raced the 200 and 400 at Easterns.

Kollock, Taylor, Harrison, Princz, Page, Ash and Alvarez are all ranked in the top 30 in South Jersey history.

Here’s an all-time South Jersey top-10 list just from marks at Easterns:
6.5h … Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1980
6.91 … English Gardner (Eastern), 2010
6.92 ……………. Gardner, 2008
6.95 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
7.00 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
7.00 … Torie Robinson (Winslow), 2014
7.04 ……………. Gardner, 2007
7.05 ……………. Rhett, 1999
7.05 ……………. Gardner, 2007
7.05 ……………. Gardner, 2010
7.06 ……………. Gardner, 2008
7.07 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
7.08 ……………. Robinson, 2014
7.07 … Magenta Taylor (Willingboro), 1999
7.07 ……………. Harris, 2003
7.08 … Aliyah Taylor (Pemberton), 2016
7.09 … Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
7.09 … Lauren Princz (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2018

And the all-time South Jersey list going into the Meet of Champions:

6.73 … Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1981
6.88 … Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
6.91 … English Gardner (Eastern), 2010
6.95 … Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
7.00 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
7.00 … Iyanli Kollock (Our Lady of Mercy), 2017
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
7.05 … Dana Burnett (Williamstown), 1996
7.07 … Aliya Harrison (Sterling), 2018
7.07 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
7.07 … Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2009
7.07 … Magenta Taylor (Willingboro), 1999
7.07 … Angela Clyburn (Egg Harbor Twp.), 1991
7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil (Winslow Twp.), 2012
7.09 … Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
7.09 … Lauren Princz (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2018
7.11 … Jamie Walker (Haddon Hts.), 2006
7.12 … Assante Johnson (Camden), 2009
7.14 … Shonda Burroughs (Vineland), 1999
7.16 … Dennisha Page (Woodrow Wilson), 2018
7.17 … Nia Lawrence (Pemberton), 2013
7.17 … Kiara Lester (Deptford), 2014
7.17 … Krystal Cantey (Winslow Twp.), 2006
7.18 … Sherese Price (Pleasantville), 1997
7.19 … Latoya Benson (Washington Twp.), 2001
7.19 … Adia Starnes (Timber Creek), 2017
7.20 … Medina Salaam (Camden), 1974
7.20 … Nia Ali (Pleasantville), 2006
7.20 … Fametta Lewis (Wilson), 2007
7.20 … Tacquaya Tobias (Our Lady of Mercy), 2010
7.20 … Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 2013
7.20 … Gabrielle Farquharson (Williamstown), 2011

Aaniyah Robinson had quite a breakout meet Monday evening for Rowan, winning the 60-meter dash at the New Jersey Athletic Conference meet at the Sea Breeze facility on Staten Island in a personal-best 7.77 seconds.

Robinson had set her PR of 7.79 in the trials earlier in the day.

Robinson, a native of Totowa who attended Passaic County Tech in Wayne, edged senior Danielle Celestin of The College of New Jersey by 10-100ths of a second in a battle of former Passaic County sprinters. Celestin is a graduate of Clifton High, just down Rte. 46 from Totowa.

Robinson, a sophomore who competed at American International of Springfield, Mass., last year, came into the conference meet with a PR of 7.89 from the previous weekend. She first broke 8.00 at a meet in Ithaca earlier in February.

In all, she lowered her PR from 8.04 to 7.79 in the span of three weeks.

Robinson’s time is No. 12 in NCAA Division 3 this year but only 5-100ths of a second out of second place. Is also fourth-fastest among freshmen.

Robinson also placed sixth in the 200 at the NJAC meet with an indoor-PR 26.75.